diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 65be87d..4db92d7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ The global configurations are:
 
 |key|value|
 |---|---|
-|`check_interval`|Maximum frequency to run checks for each monitor|
+|`check_interval`|Maximum frequency to run checks for each monitor as duration, eg. 1m2s.|
 |`monitors`|List of all monitors. Detailed description below|
 |`alerts`|List of all alerts. Detailed description below|
 
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ minitor -metrics -metrics-port 3000
 
 ## Contributing
 
-Whether you're looking to submit a patch or just tell me I broke something, you can contribute through the Github mirror and I can merge PRs back to the source repository.
+Whether you're looking to submit a patch or tell me I broke something, you can contribute through the Github mirror and I can merge PRs back to the source repository.
 
 Primary Repo: https://git.iamthefij.com/iamthefij/minitor.git
 
@@ -143,6 +143,18 @@ alerts:
     command: 'echo {{.MonitorName}}'
 ```
 
+Interval durations have changed from being an integer number of seconds to a duration string supported by Go, for example:
+
+minitor-py:
+```yaml
+check_interval: 90
+```
+
+minitor-go:
+```yaml
+check_interval: 1m30s
+```
+
 For the time being, legacy configs for the Python version of Minitor should be compatible if you apply the `-py-compat` flag when running Minitor. Eventually, this flag will go away when later breaking changes are introduced.
 
 ## Future
@@ -153,4 +165,3 @@ Future, potentially breaking changes
   - [ ] Async checking
   - [ ] Revisit metrics and see if they all make sense
   - [ ] Consider dropping `alert_up` and `alert_down` in favor of using Go templates that offer more control of messaging (Breaking)
-  - [ ] Use durations rather than seconds checked in event loop (Potentially breaking)
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index ef67de7..a389b2b 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"time"
 
 	"git.iamthefij.com/iamthefij/slog"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ var errInvalidConfig = errors.New("Invalid configuration")
 
 // Config type is contains all provided user configuration
 type Config struct {
-	CheckInterval int64 `yaml:"check_interval"`
+	CheckInterval SecondsOrDuration `yaml:"check_interval"`
 	Monitors      []*Monitor
 	Alerts        map[string]*Alert
 }
@@ -51,6 +52,34 @@ func (cos *CommandOrShell) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) erro
 	return nil
 }
 
+// SecondsOrDuration wraps a duration value for parsing a duration or seconds from YAML
+// NOTE: This should be removed in favor of only parsing durations once compatibility is broken
+type SecondsOrDuration struct {
+	value time.Duration
+}
+
+// Value returns a duration value
+func (sod SecondsOrDuration) Value() time.Duration {
+	return sod.value
+}
+
+// UnmarshalYAML allows unmarshalling a duration value or seconds if an int was provided
+func (sod *SecondsOrDuration) UnmarshalYAML(unmarshal func(interface{}) error) error {
+	var seconds int64
+	err := unmarshal(&seconds)
+
+	if err == nil {
+		sod.value = time.Second * time.Duration(seconds)
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Error indicates that we don't have an int
+	err = unmarshal(&sod.value)
+
+	return err
+}
+
 // IsValid checks config validity and returns true if valid
 func (config Config) IsValid() (isValid bool) {
 	isValid = true
diff --git a/config_test.go b/config_test.go
index 808a194..6945b40 100644
--- a/config_test.go
+++ b/config_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"log"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func TestLoadConfig(t *testing.T) {
@@ -35,11 +36,37 @@ func TestLoadConfig(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// Set PyCompat to default value
 		PyCompat = false
-
-		log.Println("-----")
 	}
 }
 
+func TestIntervalParsing(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Printf("Testing case TestIntervalParsing")
+
+	config, err := LoadConfig("./test/valid-config.yml")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Failed loading config: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	oneSecond := time.Second
+	tenSeconds := 10 * time.Second
+	oneMinute := time.Minute
+
+	// validate top level interval seconds represented as an int
+	if config.CheckInterval.Value() != oneSecond {
+		t.Errorf("Incorrectly parsed int seconds. expected=%v actual=%v", oneSecond, config.CheckInterval)
+	}
+
+	if config.Monitors[0].CheckInterval.Value() != tenSeconds {
+		t.Errorf("Incorrectly parsed seconds duration. expected=%v actual=%v", oneSecond, config.CheckInterval)
+	}
+
+	if config.Monitors[1].CheckInterval.Value() != oneMinute {
+		t.Errorf("Incorrectly parsed seconds duration. expected=%v actual=%v", oneSecond, config.CheckInterval)
+	}
+
+	log.Println("-----")
+}
+
 // TestMultiLineConfig is a more complicated test stepping through the parsing
 // and execution of mutli-line strings presented in YAML
 func TestMultiLineConfig(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 3df6d24..9121480 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ func main() {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 
-		sleepTime := time.Duration(config.CheckInterval) * time.Second
-		time.Sleep(sleepTime)
+		time.Sleep(config.CheckInterval.Value())
 	}
 }
diff --git a/monitor.go b/monitor.go
index 059d707..a289897 100644
--- a/monitor.go
+++ b/monitor.go
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ import (
 // Monitor represents a particular periodic check of a command
 type Monitor struct { //nolint:maligned
 	// Config values
-	AlertAfter    int16   `yaml:"alert_after"`
-	AlertEvery    int16   `yaml:"alert_every"`
-	CheckInterval float64 `yaml:"check_interval"`
+	AlertAfter    int16             `yaml:"alert_after"`
+	AlertEvery    int16             `yaml:"alert_every"`
+	CheckInterval SecondsOrDuration `yaml:"check_interval"`
 	Name          string
 	AlertDown     []string `yaml:"alert_down"`
 	AlertUp       []string `yaml:"alert_up"`
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ func (monitor Monitor) ShouldCheck() bool {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	sinceLastCheck := time.Since(monitor.lastCheck).Seconds()
+	sinceLastCheck := time.Since(monitor.lastCheck)
 
-	return sinceLastCheck >= monitor.CheckInterval
+	return sinceLastCheck >= monitor.CheckInterval.Value()
 }
 
 // Check will run the command configured by the Monitor and return a status
diff --git a/monitor_test.go b/monitor_test.go
index cde021f..7d8f7ed 100644
--- a/monitor_test.go
+++ b/monitor_test.go
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ func TestMonitorShouldCheck(t *testing.T) {
 		name     string
 	}{
 		{Monitor{}, true, "Empty"},
-		{Monitor{lastCheck: timeNow, CheckInterval: 15}, false, "Just checked"},
-		{Monitor{lastCheck: timeTenSecAgo, CheckInterval: 15}, false, "-10s"},
-		{Monitor{lastCheck: timeTwentySecAgo, CheckInterval: 15}, true, "-20s"},
+		{Monitor{lastCheck: timeNow, CheckInterval: SecondsOrDuration{time.Second * 15}}, false, "Just checked"},
+		{Monitor{lastCheck: timeTenSecAgo, CheckInterval: SecondsOrDuration{time.Second * 15}}, false, "-10s"},
+		{Monitor{lastCheck: timeTwentySecAgo, CheckInterval: SecondsOrDuration{time.Second * 15}}, true, "-20s"},
 	}
 
 	for _, c := range cases {
diff --git a/test/valid-config.yml b/test/valid-config.yml
index e192977..3860e95 100644
--- a/test/valid-config.yml
+++ b/test/valid-config.yml
@@ -3,21 +3,23 @@ check_interval: 1
 
 monitors:
   - name: Command
-    command: ['echo', '$PATH']
-    alert_down: ['log_command', 'log_shell']
+    command: ["echo", "$PATH"]
+    alert_down: ["log_command", "log_shell"]
     alert_every: 0
+    check_interval: 10s
   - name: Shell
     command: >
       echo 'Some string with stuff';
       echo 'another line';
       echo $PATH;
       exit 1
-    alert_down: ['log_command', 'log_shell']
+    alert_down: ["log_command", "log_shell"]
     alert_after: 5
     alert_every: 0
+    check_interval: 1m
 
 alerts:
   log_command:
-    command: ['echo', 'regular', '"command!!!"', "{{.MonitorName}}"]
+    command: ["echo", "regular", '"command!!!"', "{{.MonitorName}}"]
   log_shell:
     command: echo "Failure on {{.MonitorName}} User is $USER"